CVU boys lacrosse team hoping for strong finish

It’s a moonlight finish to the regular season for the defending Div. 1 lacrosse champion Champlain Valley Union High Redhawks, as they close out the regular season with night games Tuesday and Friday at strong South Burlington High and Essex High.

Essex, which appears likely to capture the top playoff seed, also has a one-goal lead in the two-game total score competition for the “Bucket,” an old helmet once worn by CVU head coach Dave Trevithick. The Hornets nipped CVU 9-8 earlier in the campaign.

The ‘Hawks hiked their season mark to 11-3 Saturday morning, ripping visiting 5-8 Bellows Free Academy of St. Albans 17-6 on a sun-drenched Hinesburg field.

Chris ‘The Netfinder” Bulla snapped home four first period scores in leading CVU to a 7-1 lead in the first 12 minutes. BFA was never in contention as the Redhawks spurted to a 12-3 advantage by halftime and 16-4 going into the closing reel.

“We are getting our offense together,” said Bulla after the game. He finished with six goals, while attackmate Christian Goulette popped in five and Alex Bulla scored three, while adding two assists.

Quinn Kropf, Hoyt McCuin and Riley Prom also scored.

Chris Bulla and Trevithick gave high praise to the face-off winning abilities of Steele Dubrul and Alex Bulla.

“That is really important, to get those face-offs,” said Bulla.

And on this day, CVU won most of them, thereby denying BFA possession of the ball time and again.

Will Fay and Owen Hudson divided time in the net, combining for eight stops.

CVU got its first taste of night work last Thursday with a 16-9 triumph at Burlington High, as Chris Bulla knocked in four goals. Goulette, Kropf and Dubrul copped two goals apiece and Alex Bulla added one, plus three assists.